Mauldin was established on 100 acres in 1784 and has not stopped growing over the course of the intervening centuries. Throughout Mauldin’s history, the city has developed into a diverse and integral part of the Upstate.
1784 | Benjamin Griffith was granted 100 acres, becoming one of the earliest known settlers in the area now called “Mauldin
1868 | The area became known as “Butler’s Corners” and “Butler’s Crossroads” after Willis William Butler purchased a home at the town’s only crossroads (Laurens Road and Reedy River Road).
1869 | Land was transferred to Mauldin Episcopal Church, later known as Poplar Springs. The same site, though the original buildings are gone, currently is home to Mauldin United Methodist Church.
1879 | Reedy River Baptist Church was built. The church still exists today, though in new facilities.
1886 | Mauldin Train Depot was built in the Butler’s Crossroads Community, named after Lt. Gov. W.L. Mauldin who helped bring the railroad through the community.
DEC. 24, 1890 | The Town of Mauldin received its first charter, also named after Lt. Gov. W.L. Mauldin.
1904 | Mauldin First Baptist Church was established.
FEB. 14, 1910 | Mauldin reincorporated and elected its first Mayor, A.L. Holland.
1922 | A new school was built on East Butler Road. The school was destroyed by a fire in 1935.
1932 | The Town of Mauldin’s charter was revoked at the request of Mayor W.E. Murray, as a result of extreme hardships faced during the Great Depression.
1937 | Mauldin School, replacing the older destroyed school, was built as a part of the WPA program. The facility housed 2-12 grades. In 1957, it became Mauldin Elementary School. In 2003, the City of Mauldin purchased the facility and repurposed the building as the Mauldin Cultural Center.
1953 | Greenville Water lines were first installed in Mauldin along Laurens Road. The delivery of water sparked a new name for the area stretching from Mauldin to Fountain Inn – “The Golden Strip.”
1956 | US 276 was built from Greenville to Columbia, coming straight through the center of Mauldin.
MAY 28, 1957 | The Town of Mauldin reincorporated yet again.
1958 | Mauldin’s first fire department, made of all volunteers, was formed. The first fire truck was soon purchased.
1961 | Mauldin’s first city hall was built.
1969 | Mauldin’s status was upgraded from a town to a city.
1973 | Mauldin High School was built.
1979 | Mauldin approved funding to build the Ray Hopkins Senior Center.
1988 | Brookfield Business Park opened in Mauldin.
1999 | Mauldin Middle School opened.
2000 | A new $3.7million city hall was constructed.
2002 | New Mauldin Elementary School opened.
2004 | The city purchased the original Mauldin School building to re-purpose as the Mauldin Cultural Center.
2007 | The Mauldin Sports Center opened.
2019 | Mauldin took key step in downtown development project.
The History of the Gosnell Cabin
The history of the Gosnell cabin began 200 years ago. The cabin, with original dimensions of 25 feet by 18 feet, was built out of 12-inch thick by 8-inch wide beams of heart pine, and it was built to last.
Gresham Callahan is the first attributed inhabitants of the Gosnell log cabin. According to a log cabin historian, the cabin initially started in the Cherokee style of construction and was finished using the English method. In other words, the cabin was begun by a Native American and finished by a white settler. Also, the cabin originally had a dirt floor that was later jacked up and a wooden floor added.
Gresham Callahan first appeared in the record books on the 1810 census, indicating he was a resident of Greenville County after 1800, but before 1810. Apparently, Callahan had a number of different monikers, one of which was “Old Indian.”
The cabin was originally located in northern Greenville County, within a short distance of historic Poinsett Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1819, and the cabin was used as the construction headquarters while the bridge was under construction. Poinsett Bridge is the oldest bridge still standing in South Carolina.
At some point, the ownership of the cabin passed to John H. Goodwin. In 1875, John Goodwin sold the cabin and 300 acres to Rev. John Jack Gosnell for $351. Three generations of Gosnells lived in the cabin until 1941.
The Boy Scouts bought the property for a camp in 1927. The last member of the Gosnell family to live in the cabin, Luther Gosnell, served as the caretaker of the property until his death in 1941. The name the Boy Scouts used for their new camp was derived from Gresham Callahan. The name chosen was “Camp Old Indian.”
The accounts of dates and numbers do little to reflect the colorful history of the Gosnell log cabin. At a meeting on Aug. 10, 2008, with several granddaughters of Luther Gosnell (Carol Gosnell Long, Tammy Poore Mason and Kathy Gosnell Janson) the ancient walls of pine echoed again the joys and sadness of life as it will never be known again in Greenville County.
Luther made his living as a farmer and a rock mason. There are rumors that he was a moonshiner and a bootlegger. The main meal for his family was corn meal and water, which also happen to be the main ingredients for corn liquor.
Life was tough in the foothills of Greenville County. Bears in search of food frightened little girls who peeped out at them through the chinks in the logs while remaining deathly still. Panthers, rattlesnakes and copperheads added to the danger.
Perhaps as many as 10 babies were born in the cabin. Luther’s wife, Lizzie Dill Gosnell, died of measles in 1928 while sitting in a chair in front of the fire. An uncle had his leg amputated on the kitchen table (the table was carried out first).
In 1941, Luther has an epileptic fit in front of the fireplace. He lost control of his muscle movements and his spasms drove his legs into the hot fire. It was three days before anyone found him and he died of gangrene in the old Greenville General Hospital.
After 1941, the cabin remained on the Camp Old Indian property. It fell into disrepair and the camp did not have the resources to keep it up. Sam Phillips, Dave Chesson and Tim Brett were instrumental in having the cabin removed and restored at the Mauldin Cultural Center grounds. The cabin is undoubtedly one of the oldest remaining structures in Greenville County.